Damien Hirst

The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991

I chose this work because I like its title although it is a very long title.  I did not understand the 
work when I first saw it. I even questioned why it is art. I did not like his using of animals to make his art work. Some of his work make people feel sick. Then  I started to look for information about his work. I still can not say I like them but I think  I understand them better now. 

This work is about death, about fear. Hirst said " You try and avoid death, but it's such a big thing that you can't. That's the frightening  thing isn't it!" He used a real shark to force you to see death, to face  fear. Is it art? There are a lot of arguments about Hirst's work. I think it is his way saying what he wants to say weather you like it or not. He found a way which no one else used to express himself, to show you death, fear and pain. The effect is so strong you can't ignore it. I think this is enough. The artist used an effective way to express himself, and to tell the truth. 

Some said this work successfully pushed the boundaries of contemporary art. Like Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" was regarded as a very important work in art history. Weather is it art or not, I think time will tell. Great artists are always looking for new ways to express themselves. 

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